Sewerage system



(No Model.)

J. H. CLARK.

SEWERAGE SYSTEM. No. 354,688. Patented Dec. 21, 1886.

1 i l1m@% RS v Frrcn.

JAMES H. CLARK, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

VSEWERAGE SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0.354,688, dated December 21,1886.

Application filed November 17, 1885. Serial No. 183,075. (No model.) 7

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residing in Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sewerage Systems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in sewerage systems in which the draining of basements and sub-cellars is accomplished by means of a drain-pipe never closed, except by obstructions, and directly connecting the main sewer-pipe with a catch-basin located in. the basement or sub-cellar. Practice has demonstrated that the main objection to this system of drainage is the overflowing of basements and sub-cellars whenever a set-back occurs in the main sewer, owing to the direct communication between it and the cellar, which leaves a deposit of mud and filth on the floor of the cellar or surface of the ground. In addition to this the impure air and gases of the sewer constantly ascend through the drain-pipeinto the cellar, and thence pervade the entire house; and this, in connection with the noxious exhalations from the deposit before mentioned, are not only very offensive, but destructive to health, to a degree frequently rendering the occupancy of the building unhealthy, and therefore undesirable at all times, and thereby in a measure decreasing the value of the property, which with a non-defective sewerage system would be proportionately valuable. A further objection to this prior construction is the escape into the sewer of grease and other foreign substances from the catch-basin, which coats the walls of the sewer and thus promotes sewer-gas and other impurities, and the catch-basin has not heretofore been provided with a proper strainer for the detention of such substances, nor has the catch-basin been scaled, but, on the contrary, provided with a perforated covering permitting the free exit of sewer-gas and backwater whenever a set-back occurs in the sewer.

The essential object of this invention is to have a sewerage system so constructed that backwater from the sewer cannot enter a cellar or basement connected therewith through the drain-pipe, although the said drain-pipe is connected with and empties into the sewerpipe.

Further objects are to have a drain-pipe for the cellar independent of the house drainpipe, and so connected with the sewer-pipe that communication between them will be antomatically cut off immediately when a setcatch-basin having a deflector, underneath.

which the sewage must pass, whereby grease and other foreign substances floating on the sewage will be detained in the catch-basin and prevented from entering the sewer.

These objects are attained by the devices and arrangement thereof illustrated in the drawings, in which Figure 1 represents aside view of a house, partly in section, with a drainage systemembodying my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2, a detail view of an automatic valve for closing the mouth of a collar drain-pipe; Fig, 3, a detail plan view of my improved catch-basin; Fig. 4, a central vertical section of the same on line a: a, Fig. 3.

Referring by letter to the accompanying drawings, A indicates the house drain-pipe of my system, through which the waste water and refuse from the house passes to the sewer, connected at its outer end with the sewer-pipe B by a valve-box, 0, located at some convenient point in a suitable well provided for its reception in the basement of a building, for the purpose hereinafter described. This drain-pipe extends upwardly from the valve-box in an inclined plane toward the rear of the house, where its inner end connects with a catchbasin, D, located at a suitable point, and into which empties in any well-known and convenient manner all of the waste-pipes of the house. Through this catch-basin all the sewage from the house waste-pipes must pass on its way to the sewer, and were no means provided to obviate it the grease contained in the sewage would pass out with it through the sewer, adhering to and forming a coating upon the walls of the sewer and its connections, and soon become a fruitful source for noxious exhalations, which, together with sewer-gas, is not only very offensive but deleterious to health. To overcome this objection and prevent the escape of grease and like foreign substances from the catch-basin, Ihave provided a hood or deflector, E, surrounding the escape-orifice of the catch-basin, and preferably semicircular in plan view, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3.

I may here state that the catch-basin herein shown and described is similar to those incommon use, except that its cover is not perforated, but, on the contrary, is solid, and designed to hermetically seal the opening in the top of the basin. The basin itself, as usual, is composed of either a casting or sheet metal, and is set in masonry in any well-known and convenient manner.

The deflector before referred to issecured to the wall of the basin surrounding the escape-orifice therein on the are of a circle, and extends from the bottom of the cover downwardly in a vertical line below the plane of the said escape-orifice, and any grease or other like foreign substance not having suflicient gravity to sink that may enter the catch-basin cannot'escape therefrom, as it will float upon the top of the water and be caught and detained in the basin until removed, for by the peculiar construction of the deflector, although the water is free to pass down under the lower edge of the deflector andout through the drainpipe to the sewer, these foreign substances cannot pass out of the catch-basin under the deflector, because the lower edge thereof is at all times below the level of the escape-orifice, and consequently of the water in the catchbasin.

Connected with the catch-basin on the same side of the deflector with the house drain-pipe A, but on the opposite side of thebasin thereto, is a gas-escape pipe, F, extending upwardly therefrom to asuitable elevation outside of the building. This pipe is more particularly designed to carry off and thereby prevent the acthe detained substances in the catch-basin,

and thus prevent their escape into the house through the waste-pipes connected with the catch-basin, a short pipe, G, is employed,connecting the two chambers of the catch-basin, through which, owing to the constant current of air passing through the house drain-pipe,

and out of the gas-escape pipe, the said vapors will be drawn.

By the employment of the gas-escape pipe before described, connected with the catchbasin, I am enabled to conduct off all the gases and vapors usually existing in sewerage systems, thereby preventing an accumulation of the same in the sewers and thoroughly ventilate the entire system. This pipe extends to a suitable elevation outside of the building, where the vapors and gasesare discharged into the air, and atsuch a point as to preclude the possibility of their contaminating the air immediately surrounding the building.

. In sewerage systems as heretofore constructed it has been common to drain the basements or cellars of buildings by providing a catch-basin located at some convenient point in the cellar, to which is led gutters, or toward which the floor of the cellar inclines from all points, and this catch-basin in turn connected by a drain-pipe'with the sewer-pipe; but it is obvious that this construction is objectionable, for the reason that whenever a set-back occurs from the main sewer the water will rise through the dranpipe and catch-basin and overflow the cellar or basement which they are designed to drain, which overflow, when it has subsided, leaves a deposit of mud and filth, producing noxious vapors not only offensive, but deleterious to health; nor does the objection to this system end here, for the direct connection between the cellar or basement and the sewer, through the medium of the drainpipe, permits the gases and impure air from the sewer to freely ascend through them into the cellar, and thence pervade the entire building. These objections are serious, for they not only endanger the health of the occupants of the building, but also reduce the commercial value of the property, and often render it unfit for habitation, and hence it is desirable to provide means for overcoming these objections. To this end is employed the valve-box C, before mentioned, in one side of which,near the bottom, is an opening for the discharge end of the house drain-pipe, and on the opposite side a similar opening for the receiving end of the sewer-pipe, whereby the sewage H, connects with this box, and'extends therefrom in an inclined plane to the floor of the cellar or surface of the basement of the building, where its open end receives from gutters formed in the cellar, or from a catch-basin located therein, all of the water and other accumulated moisture in the said cellar and conducts it to the valve-box, and thence out through the sewer-pipe to the main sewer. The end of this cellar drain-pipe should enter the valve-box in a plane above the entrance therein of the house drain-pipe and the mouth of the sewer-pipe; by reason of the constant flow of sewage through the valve-box, were the ends of all these pipes coincident, there would be a tendency of the water in the valvebox to force its way into the cellar drain-pipe, and in a measure defeat the objects of this pipe. The discharge end of this cellar drainpipe is closed by an automatically-operating valve, I, located within the valve-box andv actuated by a float in such manner that immediately a set-back from the sewer occurs the float will be elevated by the inrush of the water, and the valve automatically seated on the end of the pipe, thereby closing and sealing its mouth and preventing the entrance therein of the backwater. Simultaneous with the seating of the valve,and by means thereof, notice is given to the janitor or occupants of the building that the set back has occurred, through the medium of a small electric bell operated by the valve and located at some convenient point in the house.

I have illustrated in the drawings, and more particularly in Fig. 2, an automatically-operating valve for closing the discharge end of the cellar drain-pipe; but I do not confine myself to the particular form or construction of valve herein shown and described, for it is obvious that any form of valve which is autoinatically operated to cut off communication between this drainpi pc and the sewer-pipe or valve-box will be no departure from the spirit of my invention, for the construction of such valve is not essential thereto.

Although, as shown and described,there is a direct communication between the valve-box and the basement or cellar when the valve-is not seated, the sewer-gases will not escape into the cellar through this channel, for the open end of the gasescape pipe connected with the house drain-pipe, for obvious reasons, creates a constant draft through the system that would not only effectually prevent the sewer-gas from rising into the basement or cellar, but, indeed, would produce a counterdraft from the cellar through the cellar drainpipe, and thence through the house drain-pipe to the gas-escape pipe, and thereby produce a constant circulation of air in the cellar to carry off all of the gases or noxious vapors that might accumulate therein.

Of course, in case a of set-back from the sewer, the house-waste and gas-escape pipes would be filled to the level of the water in the The employment of this system will be found especially valuable in case of a heavy shower,- producing an overflow or set-back from the sewer, for the water from the roof-pipe or gutter would flow into the sewer through the gas escapepipe, and be conducted away in the same manner as though no set-back had occurred, and without inconvenience to the occupants of the house, and the constant inflow of this fresh water into the sewers would rather benefit them than otherwise by flushing, and consequently cleaning the sewer.

Having described myinvention,what Iclaim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a sewerage system, a catch-basin and a house drain-pipe and gas-escape pipe connected therewith, in combination with a cellar drain-pipe and a connection between said cellar and house drain-pipes, and an automatic valve adapted to seat upon and close the mouth of said cellar drain-pipe,whereby said valve will close to prevent the passage'of water and open to permit the passage of gas,substan tially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a sewerage system, a catch-basin, the gas-escape pipes opening therein, the valvebox, the house drain-pipe connecting said box and the catch-basin, the {sewer-pipe, the cellar drain-pipe connected with said valve-box,and a valve automatically operated to seat upon and close said drain-pipe when backwater occurs only, substantially as described.

' 3. In a sewerage system, a catch-basin and a deflector therein, in combination with a house waste-pipe opening upon one side of said deflector, and a house drain-pipe and a gas-escape pipe opening on the other side of said deflector, substantially as described.

4. In a sewerage system, a catch-basin provided with a deflector, in combination with a house drain-pipe and gas-escape pipe opening upon one side of said deflector, a'house waste-pipe opening upon'the other side of said deflector, and an air-pipe connection between the two chambers formed by said deflector, whereby gases are conducted from the house waste-pipe to the gas-escape pipe, substantially as described.

5. Ihe sewer-pipe, the valve-box, and the cellar drain-pipe, in combination with .the catch-basin, the house drain-pipe connecting said basin with the valve-box, and a gasescape pipe connected with said catch-basin,whereby gases may be conducted from the cellar and catch-basin, and their connections to the outside air, substantially as described.

' JAMES H. CLARK.

Witnesses:

W. W. ELLIOTT, WILL B. OMOHUNDRO. 

